Traditionally, scholars were held in such esteem that they could access policymakers directly (John F. Kennedy’s best and brightest) and indirectly (commentators transmitting their ideas). Has this model broken down... or did it ever really exist in the first place?

All of the social sciences have become more professionalized over time. Does this concern with methodology and rigor come at the expense of accessibility? Why has the trend towards professionalization marginalized some disciplines more than others? Does the emergence of ‘data journalism’ imply that the marketplace of ideas is becoming more numerate?

Academics and foundations have spearheaded a number of recent initiatives designed to bridge the gap between the academy and the outside world. How well have these efforts been received? What else can or should be done? What are the costs, if any, of these kinds of outreach efforts?

The proliferation of online publishing and social media has dramatically lowered the barriers to entry for academics to write for a wider audience. At the same time, this proliferation has also fragmented that very same audience. Have the effects of these new media been exaggerated?

There are a number of subject matters – policy-relevant scholarship, area studies, interdisciplinary approaches – where public policy schools might have a comparative advantage in the marketplace of ideas. To what extent are these schools exploiting those advantages? Will they persist in the current economic and political climate?